What about the forgotten man that is Sam Hopkins?

He's a big unit but I guess he doesn't wrestle well vs Wane in training.

He's back at Leigh full time.

I'd have hoped we had the option to recall him if required.

Good bit of business from the club there. Sign a guy for 2 years and don't give him one shot at a SL or CC game.

Yes, nobody has impressed that much this season, but it doesn't alter the fact that Wigan were very poor.

I don't think you can really blame the halves at the moment. They've got nothing to work with. We're not making any real impact down the middle and the play the ball is slow and laboured. As a result the attacking line is getting bunched together and flat. There's not much the halves can do. If they try to organise the players into a deeper attacking line we're going to lose ground. It's too hard to be expansive from a slow play the ball yet Wane's tactics generally involve sweeping moves from side to side.
There's also no real attacking threat provided from fullback. Bowen is skilful. He proved that with a lovely catch and pass to Gelling before Smith's try. Unfortunately though he's just not offering a big enough threat and that is further stifling our attack.

Williams had some good moments but also got caught in possession too many times. We have to be patient though. That's a result of playing U19's rugby for a strong side. Often it was his best option to run the ball or take it into contact and it will take a while for him to break that habit. What he'll need is consistent game time and reviews after the game to show where he's going wrong and what needs to improve. All of our young halves will require patience to fix areas of their game.
If Hampshire was playing he'd probably need to be given time to improve his defence. Powell will need time to develop a more effective running game when required and use it more often. Some people seem to expect ready made halves but that's seriously unlikely these days. Whoever plays there will probably need patience and we will probably have a weakness there at times. It's just the sacrifice you have to make to bring through a young halfback while trying to remain a top side. Wigan and other clubs need to do it though or we might as well kiss goodbye to ever having a decent international side. The short term thinking of clubs in this regard will get us nowhere.

If we can get the forwards to make more of an impact down the middle and increase the speed of the ruck we might be able to judge Williams and Smith (or any of the other halves who get a game) on what they are really capable of.

Perhaps being yelled at and bullied by your coach 18 times a week isn't conducive to a good dressing room atmosphere. Man management is a complex science, Wane seems to have a single way of behaving and treating his players.

The only player I have ever heard criticise Wane is Gareth Hock, the rest of them would run their blood to water for him. It's easy to knock the coach when things are going bad, but when we turn our form around the same people will be waxing lyrical about him. The knee-jerk reaction on here has been laughable. Ancient and Loyal? Yeah right

Running your blood to water for the coach sometimes isn't enough mate. If the is no quality in key posotions then effort Isnt enough.

I said before the start season that green shouid have been replaced and how I thought your pack was to small and lacked quality.

The is no doubt wane can get his players up for games but I'm not sure he's clever enough rugby wise to be able to change things when not going your way.

Only time will tell. I don't believe your anywhere near as bad as you lot making out. I'm pretty sure you'll make top 4. Teams have blips and Wigan having theirs now.

at the moment he isnt

Spot on mate

What world are these people living in?

I got back from the game late and switch this on this morning to see pages and pages of this nonsense already posted.

Your coach wins the double then follows it up with another GF. We are six games into a new season for heavens sake.

Ancient and dis-loyal is right.

Get from up his rectum.

He had the easiest run to the CC final and fluked the GF due to injuries.

Other than that he's be an abject failure. Last season was a poor one apart from a run of 5 games at the end of the year. As much as you don't like it he's judged on results and most importantly trophies and apart from that one season he's not delivered.

Funny how fans think he can't do anything wrong just because he's from Wigan. It's laughable as the results and performances are obviously going against him.

I fear you are too kind, sir!



Poor discipline, even dropped passes; these are the kind of thing in early season that can be worked on in training and ironed out, to some extent. But your pack just not making the required effort, that's a different story.